“伟大的死亡！君子在其中找到休息，小人却屈服于它！”也要记住这个：孔子永远在比较。他一直在君子和小人之间、优越与卑微之间、超凡与平凡之间制造分别。
道说，没有人高人一等，也没有人低人一等；没有人伟大，也没有人渺小。因为我们同属于一个实相，同属于一个道。我们怎么能是低劣的或优等的或低等的？那不可能——我们是同一种物质做成的。存在在你身体里脉动着，在我身体里跳动着，在树和石头里面律动着。没有人是优等的也没有人是低等的。这个想法是自我主义的，但儒家哲学就是以自我为中心的。
现在这个子贡说，“伟大的死亡！君子在其中找到休息，小人却屈服于它！”现在他很享受他是一个伟大之人的想法，一个君子，于是他被孔子透过他的小我说服了“你是一个伟大之人，一个君子，一个优等存在，你会在死亡中找到休息。你不是那个劣等的，所以不要担心——只有劣等人才不能在死亡中找到休息。”活着时不要急着休息，因为在孔子看来那也是劣等的。休息是不可能的，休息就是逃避。
孔子总是很忧虑老子和他的教导。传说有一次他去看望老子，当然，他比老子年岁长些，所以他以为老子会按相应礼节来行为举止，正如年长之人所期待的。但老子坐在那甚至没有站起来迎接他，他甚至没有说，“请坐，先生。”他也没有过多地注意他，孔子非常生气。这是哪一种师父？他说，“你不遵循任何礼节吗？”
老子说，“如果你想坐，你就坐；如果你想站，你就站。我是谁要告诉你怎么做？那是你的生命，我不会干涉。”
孔子很受震动。之后他问了些关于高等人，关于君子的事，老子大笑说，“我从没见过任何‘高等人’或‘低等人’。人就是人，好比树就是树，每一件事都共同参与在同一个存在中。没有人高等，也没有人低等，所有这些都是荒谬的，垃圾！”孔子非常害怕。而这个叫老子的人周围有着无比的宁静，他是一个寂静的池塘。
孔子回来了，他的弟子们问，“老子怎么样？”
他说，“永远不要靠近这个人，他很危险。如果你遇到一只老虎，你可以用某种办法保住性命。如果你遇到一只狮子，你能保护自己。但这个人十分危险，他像一条龙，在天飞龙！他会杀掉你！永远不要去！每当你听说老子在附近，赶快跑！”
孔子非常担忧老子的教导，他的教导如此不同，如此绝对地真实，如此绝对地不合常理，如此绝对地叛逆，如此绝对的个体性。他相信非人造的律法，他只相信自然，相信自然就是道。
老子说，你可以在生命中休息，因为即使在你走路时你也可以保持如如不动。你内在的中心如如不动，你可以成为旋风的中心。车轮转动但轮毂不动，车轮滚滚向前，但某些东西保持不动。行动，去做，但内在深处保持无为。说，讲，但内在深处保持寂静。
老子说，让矛盾的双方相遇，让矛盾消融。成为矛盾的，因为生命就是矛盾的。活，就像死去一样活。那么，当你死去，死亡就像你进入了另一个生命——更高的生命，更大的生命。让矛盾相遇，相融，融为一体。
儒家思想是分裂、分层、分类的。生是生，生命就是挣扎。死是死，死亡就是休息——分的很清楚。老子说没有分别，没有明确的分别。生即死，死即生。一个人可以活的很尽兴但内心深处保持绝对地超脱，抽离，远远地抽离，保持距离，完全不陷进去。你可以穿过河流，双脚却保持不被水打湿。你可以成为一朵莲花，那就是真实的生命。你说，也没说，内在某些东西保持着疏离。你触碰大地，内在却在天空高高飞翔。
儒家生活是非常普通的生活——非常逻辑，计算，分类，但十分平常。道家生活超乎寻常地丰富，因为它涵纳了否定和肯定两者，阴与阳，冲突与合作，爱与恨，生与死。
永远记住，让你内在矛盾的双方和谐相处，那么你就会到达至高点和最高峰。不要选择一方，选择两者。大胆点，不要做个吝啬鬼。当生命给你一个矛盾体，就选择这整个的矛盾体，完整完全地吞下去，彻底消化掉，然后你就会变成一只在天飞龙。
“子贡，”孔子说，“你了解了。”当然，孔子一定非常高兴，他把弟子又拖回到老的套路里。“子贡你了解了。”他错过了了解的机会，但孔子却说，“你了解了。人们理解生之快乐而非痛苦；衰老之疲惫而非安逸；死亡之丑陋而非安歇。”
又一次，同样的区分：少数人了解生命之美而不是它的丑。一些人了解生命之丑而不是它的美。一些人了解死亡之丑，而不是它的安歇。有人了解死亡之安逸而不是它的丑——但都是一样的。你选择了一个，别人选择了另一个。
两都都要同时被选择，两都都完全被选择那么就没有选择。生命是丑的也是美的，死亡是丑的也是美的，因为存在是一个辩证的过程。你的左腿抬起来是因为右腿在支撑，前进是因为有一条腿不动。那么你的左腿站着右腿向前，因为有不动，动才成为可能。
我能够对你说话是因为内在深处某些东西一直是寂静的。语言之所以有意义，之所以重要，只是因为寂静。如果没有寂静，那么语言是没有意义的，只是胡言乱语。如果语言有意义，永远记住，那意味着它透过寂静而来，寂静灌注进入语言，使语言变成一道光。
爱之所以美是因为有恨的可能，否则爱会过甜，它会变成糖尿病！只有糖，糖，糖……不，盐也是需要的，恨给生命一些盐分。作为是好的，但如果没有不作为，它会制造紧张，魔症一样的行动。不作为是好的，但如果没有作为在里面，它会成为一种死亡，昏昏欲睡，迟钝。两者都是好的，完整就是好的。
道说完整就是好的，不要选择。让它如其所是。如其所是，是一个智慧的安排。没有比它更好的词，不可能再有任何改善。你接受两者，透过接受，你蜕变了。
子贡关上了那扇可以逃离去往广阔天空的大门，他错过了。记住，在你的生命中也有很多这样的时刻，你可以逃离，但过去太沉重了——它把你推了回去。孔子之所以能得逞是因为子贡全部的过去就只是理论、语言、哲学、教条，它们知道彼此的语言。它们把他推回去了。那个伟大的时刻再次错过了，而这些伟大的时刻极少出现。
子贡知道他疲惫不堪是因为过度学习，现在他能拿孔子怎么办呢？学习、学习、再学习……没有别的！孔子不知道静心，他不相信狂喜，他只是一个道德家——非常世俗。他不知道任何比社会更伟大，更大的东西，他的视线非常狭窄。现在能怎么办？他只能继续学习，他会被再次丢进书堆里，那些老套的、守旧的、腐朽的书，他只能学习……再学习。那就是他一直在做的！
永远记住，当有一个新的时刻，一个新的洞见在你周围出现，要选择新的，因为旧的已经不能再为你做什么了，所以退回去有什么意义？哪怕新的被证明是错的，那也要选择新的。至少它是一个新的探险，你会了解一些事。就算你没有达到目标，至少你会找到探索未知、拥抱未知的勇气，那就是你的收获。但永远不要选择旧的，每当有一个新的可能性就去向新的。要快点去，因为旧的非常沉重有力——它会把你推回去。
一次又一次，我看到有些人就坐在我面前，悬在他们的过去和现在之间。记住，现在很短，过去很长，所以当然它的重量更大。除非你非常有勇气，否则你永远跳不出它的掌控。留在过去是非常舒适方便的，但舒适方便毫无价值，成长才是全部。
成长。
如果透过舒适方便能够成长——那很好。那么方便是好的，有益的；那么舒适是好的，有益的。但永远记住一件事：一直成长。不要掉进老一套，不要一次，一次，又一次进入恶性循环。完
“Great is death! The gentleman finds rest in it, the mean man submits to it!”And remember this too: Confucius is always comparative.He always creates this distinction between the gentleman and the mean man, the superior and the inferior, the extraordinary and the ordinary.
Tao says nobody is superior and nobody is inferior; nobody is great and nobody is mean, because we belong to one reality, to one Tao. How can we be mean or superior or inferior? That is impossible–we are made of the same stuff. It is existence that pulsates in you, it is existence that pulsates in me, it is existence that pulsates in the trees and in the rocks. Nobody is superior and nobody is inferiot.The vety idea is egoistic,but the Confucain philosophy is centered on the ego.
Now this Tzu Kung says, “Great is death! The gentleman finds rest in it, the mean man submits to it!” Now he is enjoying the idea that he is a great man, a gentleman, so he is persuaded by Confucius through his ego: “You are a great man, a gentleman, a superior being. You will find rest in death. You are not mean, so don’t be worried–only mean persons don’t find rest in death.” And don’t hanker for rest in life, because that too is meanness according to Confucius. Rest is not possible, rest is escapism.
Confucius was always worried about Lao Tzu and his teachings. It is said that once he went to see Lao Tzu. Of course, he was older than Lao Tzu, so he wanted Lao Tzu to behave in a mannerly way, as an old man expects. But Lao Tzu was sitting and he would not even stand to greet him. He would not even say, “Sit down, sir,”and he didn’t pay much attention to him. Confucius became very angry. What type of master is this? And he said,“Don’t you follow any manners?”
Lao Tzu said,“If you feel like sitting, you sit; if you feel like standing, you stand. Who am I to say anything about it? It is your life.I don’t interfere.”
Confucius was shocked. Then he asked something about the superior man, the gentleman, and Lao Tzu laughed and he said,”I have never come across any‘superior’ or ‘inferior’. Men are men as trees are trees and everything participates in the same existence. Nobody is superior and nobody is inferior and it is all nonsense and rubbish!” Confucius became very much afraid. And this man Lao Tzu had tremendous silence around him; he was a pool of silence.
Confucius came back. His disciples asked, “What about Lao Tzu?”
He said, “Never go near this man, he is dangerous. If you come across a tiger,you can save your life in some way.If you come across a lion, you can save yourself. But this man is very dangerous. He is like a dragon, a flying dragon! He will kill you! Never go!Whenever you hear that Lao Tzu is around, escape!”
Confucius was very much worried about Lao Tzu’s teaching. The teaching is so utterly different, so utterly true, so utterly amoral, so utterly rebellious, and so utterly individual. It believes in no man-made laws, only in nature. Trust in nature is Tao.
And Lao Tzu says you can rest in life, because even while you are walking you can remain unmoving. Your innermost center can remain unmoving; you can become the center of the cyclone. The wheel moves but the hub remains. The wheel goes on moving, but it moves on something that is not moving. Act, do, but remain a nondoer deep within. Talk, speak, but remain in silence deep within.
Lao Tzu says, let contradictions meet. Let paradoxes dissolve. Be paradoxical, because life is paradoxical. Live, and yet live as if you were dead. Then, when you die, die as if you were entering into another life–higher life, greater life. Let paradoxes meet, mingle,and fuse into one unity.
Confucian thought is of division, classification, categorization. Life is life, life is struggle.Death is death, death is rest–clear-cut divisions. Lao Tzu says there are no distinctions, no clear-cut distinctions.Life is death, death is life. A man can live tremendously and yet deep down remain absolutely transcendental, away, far away, distant, not involved at all. You can walk through the river and your feet can remain untouched by the water; you can be a lotus flower. And that is the true life. You speak and yet you speak not. Something in you remains far away. You touch the earth and yet something in you remains high in the skies.
Confucian life will be a very ordinary life–very logical, mathematical, classified, but very ordinary. Taoist life is really extraordinary very rich, because it contains the negative and the positive both, the yin and yang both, conflict and cooperation both, love and hate both, life and death both.
Always remember, let there be a harmony in the contradictions within you, then you will reach to the highest point and the highest peak. Don’t choose one, choose both together. Be courageous.Don’t be miserly in choosing.When life gives you a paradox,choose the whole paradox; swallow it all and whole,and digest itcompletely and you will become a flying dragon.
“Tzu Kung,” said Confucius, “you have understood.” Of course, Confucius must have been very happy. He has converted the disciple back to the old rut.“Tzu Kurg you have understood.” He has missed the opportunity to understand, but Confucius says,”You have understood. All men understand the joy of being alive but not its misery; the weariness of growing old but not is ease; the ugliness of death but not its repose.”
Again the same division: There are few people who understand the beauty of life, but not the ugliness of it. Then there are some who understand the ugliness of life, but not the beauty of it. There are some who understand the ugliness of death, but not the repose of it. And then there are some who understand the repose of death but not the ugliness of it–but both are the same.You choose one category, somebody else chooses another category.
Both should be chosen together. Both should be chosen so much together that there is no choice. Life is ugly and life is beautiful, and death is ugly and death is beautiful because existence exists through dialectical processes. Your left leg moves because your right leg stands still; the movement becomes possible because one leg is standing still. Then your left leg stands still and your right leg moves. The movement is possible because of no-movement.
I can speak to you because something deep inside is always silent. The word is meaningful, significant, only because of the silence.If there is no silence, then the word is meaningless, then it is gibberish. When the word is meaningful, always remember that the meaning comes through silence, silence pours into the word and the word becomes luminous.
Love is beautiful because there is the possibility of hate; otherwise love would be so sweet that it would create diabetes! Just sugar, sugar, sugar…No, the salt is also needed; hate gives salt to life. Activity is good, but if there is no inactivity in it, it will create neurosis, obsessive action.Inactivity is good, but if there is no activity in it, it will be a sort of death, a lethargy, a dullness. Both are good,the whole is good.
Tao says the whole is good.Don’t choose.Let it be as it is.As it is, it is a wise arrangement. There cannot be a better world than this. There is no possibility of any improvement. You accept both, and through that acceptance, you transcend.
This Tzu Kung was just close to the door through which he would have escaped into the open sky. He has been missed again. Remember, in your life also there will be many moments when you can escape, but your past is heavy–it pulls you back. Confucius could succeed because Tzu Kung’s whole past was nothing but theories, words, philosophies, doctrines; and they understand each other’s language. He pulled him back. Again that great moment was missed. And these great moments come very rarely.
This Tzu Kung knows that he has become weary of study, now what will he do with Confucius?There is study,and study,and study…nothing else! Confucius knows no meditation, he believes in no ecstasy; he is just a moral teacher–very earthly. He does not know anything greater than society, bigger than society; he has a very narrow outlook. Now what is he going to do? He will be studying again, he will be again pondering over the books; the old, traditional, rotten books he will be studying…again. That he has been doing!
Always remember that when a new moment, a new insight, hovers around you, choose the new because the old has not done anything for you, so what is the point of going back? Even if the new proves wrong, then too, choose the new. At least it will be a new adventure; you will come to know something. Even if you don’t reach the goal, at least you will have learned some courage to move into the unknown, to embrace the unknown. That will be your gain. But never choose the old. Whenever there is a possibility for the new go into the new.And go fast because the old is very heavy–it will pull you back.
Again and again I see a few people just sitting before me, hanging between their past and their present. Remember, the present is very small and past is very long, so of course its weight is big. Unless you are very courageous you will never get out of it. It is very comfortable and convenient to remain with the past, but comfort and convenience are nothing. Growth is all.
Grow.
If growth comes through discomfort, inconvenience–good. Then inconvenience is good, beneficial; then discomfort is good, beneficial. But always remember one thing: Go on growing. Don’t become a rut.Don’t start moving in the same vicious circle again, and again,and again.END
吾同翻译